Brown started immediately and has developed into one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Coming off the bench behind Connor Barwin, Mercilus registered six sacks, tying Brooks Reed’s rookie record.

Ideally, there will be a wide receiver the Texans have rated high enough to be worth the 27th pick. As Smith says, if a team is fortunate enough to have value and need come together, it’s like hitting a home run. A grand slam in this case.

The Texans are looking for a receiver who started in college multiple seasons, improved each year and displayed the football intelligence and work ethic it takes to make an immediate contribution.

Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins, Baylor’s Terrance Williams, Tennessee’s Justin Hunter and USC’s Robert Woods are examples of receivers who fit what the Texans need. They could be taken near the bottom of the first round or early in the second.

If a receiver Smith wants is gone, he could trade out of the first round and still get one he likes in the second round as long as he didn’t trade down too far.

Having the 27th pick has worked out well for half the teams over the last 10 drafts.

Good track record

Here are some of the better players selected with the 27th pick in the last decade: Cincinnati guard Kevin Zeitler (2012), New England cornerback Devin McCourty (2010), Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams (2006) and Atlanta receiver Roddy White (2005).

Coach Gary Kubiak loves tight ends. They have four on the roster. Don’t be surprised if they draft another one.

Let’s see, that’s seven picks. Smith has two more to make, barring any trades.

If the receiver Smith and Kubiak want isn’t there, they could select an offensive tackle like Florida State’s Menelik Watson. He would be groomed behind Derek Newton, who’s recovering from knee surgery, on the right side.

Rookie WR must help

Fans who scoff at the Texans taking a wide receiver in the first round don’t understand what the Texans would want from him as a rookie. The receiver has to take pressure off Andre Johnson. The idea is to be good enough to require the defense to pay attention to the rookie as well as to Johnson.

Tight end Owen Daniels will be quarterback Matt Schaub’s second-favorite target behind Johnson. Running back Arian Foster should catch 50-something passes. That’s not a lot left over for a rookie. But he must contribute.

Photo: Karen Warren / Chronicle

Image 1of/103

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 103

For the fourth consecutive season, I’ve ranked the Texans’ draft choices in order. It’s easy at the bottom because there were so many disappointments – some because of injuries, some because of bad fits or bad coaching or bad systems or a combination of all. My rankings are based on where a player was drafted, what he’s accomplished as an individual and what his teams have achieved and what his potential is. Obviously, next season, the rankings will change again. -- John McClain less

For the fourth consecutive season, I’ve ranked the Texans’ draft choices in order. It’s easy at the bottom because there were so many disappointments – some because of injuries, some because of bad ... more